Let&rsquo;s lay down the skincare law: every solid routine starts with two essentials &mdash; cleanser and moisturiser. Cleansing keeps things clean, moisturising keeps things balanced. But if that&rsquo;s where your regimen ends, you&rsquo;re leaving real skin upgrades on the table. Enter: exfoliation &mdash; the secret weapon for smoother, clearer, more radiant skin.
Think of exfoliation as your skin&rsquo;s reset button. It gently clears away dead skin cells, revealing the fresh, luminous layer underneath. &ldquo;It leaves skin feeling softer and visibly improves tone and texture,&rdquo; says Samy Hamada, Aesop&rsquo;s Director of Research &amp; Development. &ldquo;It can help brighten the complexion, even out discolouration, and prevent clogged pores.&rdquo;

&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re acne-prone, exfoliation should be the foundation of your routine.&rdquo; &mdash;Dr. Muneeb Shah

But exfoliation isn&rsquo;t just about chasing glow. It&rsquo;s a tactical move, especially for those prone to breakouts and congestion. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re acne-prone, exfoliation should be the foundation of your routine,&rdquo; says board-certified dermatologist Dr Muneeb Shah in his viral TikTok breakdown &ldquo;Why and How to Exfoliate.&rdquo; His recommendation? Chemical exfoliants with beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) &mdash; the kind that go deep, dissolve debris and shut down bacteria in one swipe.
And here&rsquo;s the kicker: exfoliation doubles as a stealthy anti-ageing strategy. &ldquo;As you exfoliate more consistently, you&rsquo;re essentially tricking your skin into behaving younger,&rdquo; Dr. Shah adds. Retinoids and retinoic acid &mdash; two potent exfoliants &mdash; work at a deeper level, ramping up cell turnover and smoothing out fine lines over time. Bonus points? Exfoliation also makes the rest of your products work harder. By clearing the surface, it allows your serums and treatments to absorb more effectively &mdash; and deliver better results.

Overuse can do more harm than good.

So, which exfoliant deserves a spot in your routine? Truth is, there&rsquo;s no one-size-fits-all answer. It all comes down to your skin&rsquo;s needs and how much exfoliation it can handle. That said, most experts will tell you to tread carefully with rough physical scrubs. Overuse can do more harm than good.
For a smarter, gentler solution, reach for Aesop&rsquo;s new Lucent Facial Refiner, a chemical exfoliant that&rsquo;s making waves in the skincare world. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s formulated to refine and rebalance the skin, while replenishing it at the same time,&rdquo; says Hamada. Inside, you&rsquo;ll find a dynamic duo of Gluconolactone (a polyhydroxy acid, or PHA) and Salicylic Acid (a BHA) &mdash; two exfoliants that work in harmony to renew the skin without overstripping.
Chemical exfoliants don&rsquo;t scrub &mdash; they dissolve. These modern multitaskers break down the glue that holds dead skin cells together. PHAs, like Gluconolactone, work gently on the surface of the skin and are ideal for sensitive types. &ldquo;PHAs are similar to AHAs like Lactic Acid, but they&rsquo;re larger molecules, so they don&rsquo;t penetrate as deeply,&rdquo; Hamada explains. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re milder, but still effective.&rdquo; BHAs, on the other hand, go beneath the surface. &ldquo;Salicylic Acid is the most well-known BHA &mdash; it&rsquo;s oil-soluble, which means it can cut through sebum and clear out pores,&rdquo; says Hamada. That makes it a must-have for oily or blemish-prone skin.

Your grown-up skin deserves more than just a once-a-week scrub.

Want to level up even further? Hamada recommends pairing Lucent Facial Refiner with Lucent Facial Concentrate, Aesop&rsquo;s powerhouse brightening serum. &ldquo;Used together, they deliver smoother texture, enhanced glow and more even skin tone,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re clinically proven to be more effective as a duo &mdash; and suitable for all skin types.&rdquo;
Now for the million-dollar question: how often should you exfoliate? Two to three times a week is the sweet spot, according to dermatologists. Overdo it, and you risk irritation. Underdo it, and dullness starts creeping in. A solid strategy? Use a chemical exfoliant a few nights a week, and add a weekly mask or peel to keep things fresh. Because let&rsquo;s face it &mdash; your grown-up skin deserves more than just a once-a-week scrub. It deserves glow, clarity and that next-level smoothness that only smart exfoliation can deliver.

Your Grown-Up Routine Starts With Getting Exfoliation Right

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